This micro air vehicle system is a hobby project. Everything is designed from scratch (software, hardware, electronics, frames). It performs very well in aerobatics ("acro mode"), but it can also hover on its own ("hover mode").

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This project was started in November 2008. The goal was to learn something about programming, electronics and control loops. Because I always need a cool project to learn new things, it was clear that something that can fly had to be built.The project started as a "tricopter-only" project, but as I wanted to build smaller vehicles with more payload capacity, I decided to make some quadrotor, hexacopter and Y6 hexacopter firmwares too. My main interest is to build very small MAVs that fly as good as larger ones (or even better) and that can be controlled by wireless video link. I also experimented with autonomous flight in GPS-denied areas (video), and with GPS assisted autonomous hover (video). It would be cool to add more features to this project but I am pretty busy with my PhD research. But maybe one day I could combine my scientific interests with my hobby projects...-- William

Shrediquette GEMïNï

Holidays are copter days... I spent some time during holidays to design a new FPV hexacopter. It will be equipped with the AirAce props that I used in the BOLT and some cheaper hobbyking motors (2200 RPM/V, ca. 15 grs.) + turnigy Plush 6A ESCs + a 1000 mAh 3S lipo. I also designed a canopy for the copter which I will print in 3D, thermoform from 0.5mm plastic sheet, and eventually laminate with carbon fibre. The propellers are tilted 10° forward in order to decrease the angle of attack of the copters body in forward flight, which will hopefully decrease the net aerodynamic drag in fast translational flight. I am hoping that this copter will be able to fly even faster than the BOLT. The GEMiNi is slightly larger, the max. dimension is 315 mm from propeller tip to propeller tip (diagonally). I will use the CCD-Killer camera, and an Airwave module for video transmission. The CCD-Killer is still my favorite camera in terms of image quality and exposure control vs. weight and size.

Ever since I built my first tricopter, I wanted to build a canopy that somehow resembles the Limulus, an impressive animal that seems to have survived from the primeval times... In 2008, I started to draw some 3D canopies for the DLX tricopter but never finished them.

I like the design of the Limulus ("Horseshoe crab") a lot, but in 2008 I didn't know how to create the chassis from the 3D model. Now I have the opportunity to print the model and to build it using thermoformed flat film. The thermoformed model will serve as negative cast. I never laminated complex shapes with carbon fibre before. Probably the first attempts will not look very nice...

Here are some pictures of the GEMïNï and early prototypes:

I am currently putting together a list of all the things I need for the new copter. I will use the Shrediquette xMega controller with the MPU gyroscopes / accelerometers. Hopefully the copter will be finished in the first quarter of 2013. After finishing this copter, I will most likely take a slightly longer break from my hobbies.